by Laura Marie
“It’s Broderick, and you were right about Higgins,” Agent Broderick stated immediately.
“Son of a bitch! Jerry was right. I just made the call. I can’t believe that asshole is on the Sintorez payroll. How the hell did you confirm this?”
“That’s the bad part, sir. He made a call out to Avalar and he was tapping all the phones in the building. Jerry called Jack on his cell phone. That was easily traceable, but he did mention being in the safe house in New Jersey and not the hospital they’re in. He may have suspected something.”
“Yeah, Jerry was the one to put me on to Higgins. It was Higgins who Jerry believed set him up two years ago when all this shit went down.”
“They were good friends, right?”
“Yeah, Broderick. Damn, what information did he get off the taps?”
“Jack and Salvatore talking about going into protective custody and either picking someplace warm or heading into the Adirondacks to stay with Elloisa and Gustavo.”
“Oh, crap. Any definite description on their location, or do you think it was vague?”
“I think they could find them. I think their locations are in jeopardy.”
“I’ll get on the phone with them immediately.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Bring them back here to headquarters and I’ll notify Gus.”
“If Gus needs help, I can be up there by tomorrow morning,” Zach offered.
“I’ll let you know.”
Chapter 17
“We confirmed their location.”
“Whose location did you confirm?”
“The entire Givani family, including your Elloisa,” Avalar exclaimed.
Armando sat back in the limo and smiled. Getting into the United States had been a piece of cake as usual. But then again, he had been determined to take care of this situation on his own since no one else seemed capable of it.
“Send me the location, and I’ll have Ramos and my men move in on it.”
“I will shortly. Then can we finalize our plan for the laboratory?”
Armando didn’t like the way Avalar was speaking to him. His gut clenched and he knew he was being baited.
“I’ve made my decision. You can run the show, and I expect my share of the profits as we discussed at my estate.”
Avalar chuckled. “Very good, Armando. I will call you shortly.”
Armando heard the phone click off, and immediately he called Ramos.
* * * *
Avalar closed his phone then looked at the group of men. They were all trained soldiers and all armed with automatic weapons. He couldn’t believe that Elloisa was just two blocks down the road in a small cabin that sat on a lake secluded from any other nearby houses. Being secluded meant no worries of police being called when his men shot up the cabin. Avalar knew that the agent would not give up Elloisa without a fight. It was perfect, and soon Avalar would have Armando Sintorez’s prize possession. It had paid off to have numerous DEA agents on the payroll, especially in the surveillance unit. Every incoming and outgoing call in the department was recorded and monitored, whether approved by officials or not. He had an exact location on the entire family, but most importantly, on Elloisa.
“We will wait until dusk. This agent cannot be underestimated, and from my understanding, he is quite the marksman. I want Elloisa alive, but the agent must die,” he told his troops, and they smiled as they prepared their strategic attack.
* * * *
Jack and Salvatore stood alongside a troop of ten men. They had leaders from ATF, the U.S. Marshals, and the FBI. They had explained about connections they discovered between the drug dealers here in the States and abroad. A meeting was going to take place first thing tomorrow morning at a new location they believed to be a new factory for making and exporting drugs.
“This is a lot to take in, investigators. How are we going to plan such a simultaneous attack on numerous locations throughout the city, New Jersey, and upstate New York in the time frame of hours?” one agent asked.
“Each of you was specifically called here to participate in this raid because of your dedication and track record with your affiliated organization. You have each been thoroughly investigated, and we have been ensured that none of you are untrustworthy. That being said, you each are going to be monitored the moment you leave this room. We cannot take any chances in screwing these raids up, or our perpetrators will get away,” Salvatore replied with a firm and serious tone.
“Investigated?” one individual asked, sounding alarmed.
“Yes. Now we have mapped out these raids for you. Each unit has been assigned a location or two to hit. As soon as I turn this board around, you are going to see some names that have haunted each of our department’s most wanted lists for at least a decade. This operation with no doubt is the biggest operation and infiltration of a multimillion dollar drug cartel that you will hopefully ever be a part of. Now let’s begin.” Jack watched everyone’s facial expressions before he turned the dry erase board around so they could see the names of all the drug lords. He knew from their expressions that he and Salvatore had their attention.
“Holy crap!” Numerous words echoed through the room the moment the names were revealed. Immediately, Salvatore turned the other boards around and began assigning locations to different teams. Salvatore was enthusiastic and pumped by the time his leaders gathered their information and prepared their individual teams.
“We cannot make any mistakes with this. We hit tomorrow morning at nine a.m.,” Jack added.
* * * *
Armando was deciding what to do when Ramos called him.
“What’s going on?” Armando asked.
“I have an update.”
“So do I. Avalar just called me. He knows the locations of the Givani family.”
Then he explained his feelings of distrust after the call from Avalar.
“I received confirmation moments ago, and I have the location of Elloisa as well as her parents. What would you like me to do?”
Armando thought about it a moment.
“Do you think that Avalar would be stupid enough to double-cross me?”
“He’s always been jealous of your power and position, Armando.
He also adored Elloisa.”
“Do you think he will attempt to take her for himself and flee the country?”
“I would kill him myself.”
“Did he sound like he was already upstate and near the house?” Armando asked.
“Yes. He definitely sounded confident.”
“Well, I can be there before dark. I can bring a dozen men along with me. It is your call.”
“Do it. Then send another group to the parents and brother’s location. I want them dead.”
“No problem. I will make the call, and it will happen before the evening.”
Armando hung up the phone and clenched his teeth. He could not let Avalar get his hands on Elloisa. He just couldn’t.
* * * *
Elloisa was setting the table as Gustavo added the finishing touches to the meal.
Elloisa felt a little stiff as she lifted then dropped her shoulders, trying to relieve the tightness.
“How’s that shoulder doing?” Gustavo asked then walked over to the table, carrying a tray of chicken.
“It’s still a little sore. I had no idea that a shotgun gave such a kick.”
“That wasn’t just any shotgun,” he began to tease when he heard his cell phone ring.
“Hello?”
“Initiate your emergency plan. They’re onto you and may be there as we speak.”
“Fuck!” Gustavo replied and disconnected the call.
“What’s wrong?” Elloisa asked as she grabbed hold of the table.
“We need to leave. Grab the bag I put in that closet over there, and I’ll grab the other stuff from the bedroom.
Elloisa hurried to the closet and pulled out the backpack. She turned around to head back to where Gustavo was wh
en she thought she saw movement by the back patio. Reaching for the wall, she clicked off the lights and the room fell into darkness.
“Gustavo,” she whispered, and she knew he couldn’t have heard her. She didn’t want to yell or scream his name. Instead she remembered what he had taught her.
Immediately she unzipped the backpack and pulled out the revolver. She checked the ammo then pressed the safety button as she held it tightly.
The first shot broke the glass on the sliders, but then bullet initiated numerous other shots, none of which entered the kitchen. She crawled across the floor, and that was when she heard more gunfire and men yelling. Near the corner of the kitchen island, she saw the men in black enter through the front. To the right, down the hallway, she saw Gustavo, crouched down and armed. They made eye contact and he gave her the sign to run like hell. Even though they practiced and trained for this, she was adamant and hesitant. Then he shook his fist and gave her that look that told her to move her ass.
Elloisa stood up and ran through the new opening in the doorway, across the shattered glass, and into the backyard.
* * * *
“We got company!” soldiers yelled to Avalar as they approached the house. There were bullets covering the air as they crawled on their bellies.
“Who the hell is out there? DEA agents?” he asked, filled with anger and disgust.
“No! It looks like Ramos,” one of Avalar’s soldiers yelled. Just then, Avalar saw a single figure running towards the woods. Instantly he knew it was a woman, by the shape and size of the shadow
“Elloisa! There she is. I’m going after her. You stay and eliminate the agent and Sintorez’s men.”
* * * *
“I’m going with you!” Mathew yelled as he packed some gear and checked his firearm.
“You can’t. Don’t you think you should stay with your parents?” Zach asked as he accepted the gear from John.
“She’s my sister, and I failed her once. I’m not going to fail her again,” Mathew yelled over the sound of the helicopter blades as they rotated above them on the roof. They climbed the stairs with four other men. Men that John said Gustavo had handpicked in case their emergency plan went into effect.
“John?” Zach looked toward his superior for the okay.
“Go! Bring your sister back alive.”
They ran to the helicopter, and a few moments later took off from the top of the building at DEA Headquarters.
“Okay, men, here are the plans,” Zach stated as he opened up the sealed envelope that John had given him.
He looked over the paper then passed it around.
“Holy shit! Gustavo thought of everything,” Mathew yelled over the sound of the motor.
“Well, he better not have fucked up my house! Bullet holes are a bitch to patch up,” one soldier yelled, and Mathew realized that it was his house that Elloisa and Gustavo were staying in.
He took a deep breath then checked his weapon as he waited to look over the map Gustavo sent them.
The same guy who owned the house made another comment.
“I told him about the cave. Do you think she would make it there on her own?”
“Definitely. Mathew’s sister is tough. You know the backstory.”
“Dude, your sister is fucking hot!”
The other guys added similar comments as Mathew bit his tongue. It was killing him to hear them talk about her and then about potentially being involved with Gustavo.
“Just focus on saving her life,” he yelled, and they all laughed then went back to being silent.
“How long?” he asked Zack.
“At this speed, at least twenty minutes.”
* * * *
Elloisa saw movement to the right of her as three men approached, trying to surround her. She went down to the ground on one knee, aimed and fired at them one at a time. The three men went down fast. She killed them, just as Gustavo had taught her.
She immediately thought of Gustavo as she stood up and continued to head toward the cave. The echo of gunfire and men yelling behind her made her run faster. She looked for the one large tree that told her to make a left and then another right. As she approached she heard the sound of branches breaking and knew that she wasn’t alone.
Again she knelt down, waited until he showed his face, then shot the gun again. Two more down and hopefully dead. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her fingers ached from gripping the gun so tightly. She ran ahead, hoping that no one followed her.
* * * *
Gustavo pointed and fired across the living room, taking out four men as well as the picture window. Benny was going to be pissed when he saw his place. Gustavo crawled through the hallway then into the kitchen. Elloisa had escaped. He needed to get to her as quickly as he could. He looked toward the opening and heard then saw the gunfire exchange before him. It appeared that two separate groups had tried to attack at once. Who the hell were the others?
He tried to exit the house, but the bullets began hitting the framework then the counter. They were all crazy.
He backtracked through the living room and crouched down near the bodies on the rug. Pulling up their sleeves, he saw the tattoo. “Rojo,” he stated out loud. Were they here for Santorez or for Avalar?
He just wasn’t certain. Slowly, he exited the house from the front and never saw the hit to the side of his head.
Gustavo felt the explosion of pain then immediately rolled out of the way. Someone had hit him with his fist, and now the guy was diving on top of him.
He felt the pain in his ribs and gut as the heavy man attempted to strangle him. Gustavo fought hard. The man was a monster. They rolled down the steps, the bigger guy taking more of the hits to the wood planks. Gustavo elbowed his attacker and attempted to get free. They wrestled until both of them were panting for air and grunting. Another set of gunfire filled the air, and the dirt near Gustavo’s head spit upward, hitting him in the eyes. He grew angrier and angrier as he went hit for hit with his attacker.
Using his training and his speed, Gustavo flipped the guy over his body then jumped up to finish him off. A shot to his face and then to his throat caused his attacker to cough in pain. Gustavo finished him off.
Bullets whizzed by him, nearly hitting him as he ran for cover by the house.
“How the hell am I going to get to Elloisa?” he stated out loud as he pulled the A-K 47 rifle off the dead guy on the stairs. He checked the ammo then waited for his chance to sprint for the woods.
* * * *
Jack and Salvatore had every group ready for their raids. In less than four hours, they would issue the command, and six huge raids would take place in the city and New Jersey. No one was allowed to exit the room. No phone calls were accepted in, and only one call was made out to place the police officers, agents, and investigators into standby mode. It was the biggest covert operation the Drug Enforcement Agency had ever undertaken. If this was successful, it would be historic. Jack and Salvatore were the leaders and developers of it all. Of course their sister had helped immensely. Without her firsthand knowledge and insight, they wouldn’t have located all the facilities, financial supporters, and locations they needed to in order to bust this cartel wide open.
* * * *
Elloisa climbed the large, treacherous rocks and finally made her way to the cave. She looked around her, waited and listened to be sure that no one followed her, then she moved the branches and climbed inside.
It was cold and dark. She prayed that there weren’t any snakes or other poisonous creatures crawling around in the dark. Immediately, she did as Gustavo had told her. She pulled open the backpack and took out the small locating device. The tiny pin was the size of a pea and in the shape of a small, red heart. Compliments of John Falco, from what Gustavo had told her. She pulled open her shirt and clipped it to the center of her bra. Then she refastened the buttons on her shirt.
If for some reason, Gustavo didn’t make it or was held up and she was captured, the DEA would k
now how to track down her location.
She sat there for a while. Then she began to get antsy and concerned for Gustavo. He had been her savior, and she adored him with all her heart. The reality of her emotions was getting the best of her as she realized that she loved him. The tears stung her eyes, and she began to fidget. That was when she heard the noise. Someone was coming up the rock wall and making his way to the cave. She closed her eyes and prayed that it was Gustavo.
Then she heard the muffled voice. “Elloisa? Help me, I’ve been shot.” It didn’t sound like Gustavo, but then again, he was injured and had been shot. Plus, he knew she was in the cave, even though it was hidden by bushes and stone. “Elloisa, please,” the voice said and she leaned toward the entrance.
In an instant, the person jumped through the opening and tackled her to the ground. She screamed and cried as she tried to fight off her attacker.
“Worried about your precious agent? No need to—he’s dead,” Avalar stated through clenched teeth. She was shocked that he was here. Why was he coming after her?
She began to ask when he struck her across the mouth.
“You’re coming with me. You’re going to be my woman now.”
“No!” she cried out as she struck at Avalar, repeatedly hitting his arms, his chest, and shoulders. But he was too strong, and he was a trained killer just like the rest of his crew.
The sound of three shots rang through the air. He grabbed her by her hair and shoved her toward the entrance to the cave.
“Move it,” he ordered, and she hit the dirt. Her face banged against a rock, and she felt the cut to her jaw.
The tears stung her eyes, and her insides filled with fear. She was going to die.
Just as he emerged, dragging Elloisa along with him, Avalar pressed his face against her cheek and licked her cut. He inhaled against her neck and she cringed in fear.
Then she heard the shot, and Avalar immediately released her. Frantic, she looked at him and the bullet hole in his forehead as he fell to the ground.
